Individual and social determinants of attachment security and disorganization

Quality of attachment in infancy is characterized by two independent dimens ions, attachment security and attachment disorganization. Data from differe nt longitudinal studies are presented suggesting a conceptualization of att achment security as a relationship construct - as expected from theoretical assumptions and empirical evidence - and a conzeptualization of attachment disorganization as including individual components. While attachment secur ity was predicted by maternal sensitivity during the first year, attachment disorganization was associated with deficits in behavioral organization ob served already in newborn age. Moreover, disorganized infants exhibited a r estricted ability for behavioral regulation and a delay of regulation devel opment throughout the first year. Finally, at the end of the first year cro ss-situational and cross-caregiver stability of disorganized behavior was o bserved.